Nut-lock.



TED STATES PATENT onnron.

WILLIAM M. OFFUTT AND GEORGE E. HUBBARD, OF TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

NUT-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM M. OFFUTT and GEORGE E. HUBBARD, citizensof the United States, residing at Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo andState of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Nut-Lock; and we dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the inout in the appended claim.

"In the "drawing, Figure 1 is a section of a rail joint showing ourinvention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view of the device. Fig. 3is a sectional view taken through the bolt and nut. Fig. 4 is asectional view taken through the loop.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a rail on which, are arrangedfish plates 2 which are connected to said rail by a bolt 3, having anut4:. Between one of the fish plates and the nut 1, is a compound washer5. The washer 5 consists of a strip of resilient metal bent upon itself,and forming a loop 6. The washer 5 is provided on its outer face with arectangular recess 7 which is adapted to receive the nut 8, when thesame is tightly screwed up. One of the fish plates 2 has the upper faceof its horizontal flange 2 provided with lugs 2*, between which thehorizontal or the looped portion 6 of the washer 5 is disposed, as seenclearly in Figs. 1 and 2. Should the bolt begin to yield in course oftime, the loop 6 which exerts a spring action, would cause the compoundwasher to spread or open and thus keep the nut still in the rectangularrecess, by which said nut would be effectually prevented from rotatingor unscrewing.

What is claimed is,

In a device as set forth, the combination of a rail and its iish plates,of means for securing the fish plates and the rail together, comprisinga bolt extendin through said rail and the fish plates, a nut t readedupon the end of said bolt, a washer composed of a single strip of metalbent upon itself to form a horizontalor looped portion 6, and having itsfree end portions bent at an angle and engaging between the said nut andone of the fish-plates whereby the said rail and fish plates may beresiliently held together, said fish plates comprising horizontal lowerflanges 2", one of said flanges having lugs 2 between which said loopedportion 6 is disposed, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM M. OFFUTT. GEORGE E. HUBBARD.

Witnesses:

ISAAC MASTERS, T. T. PEYTON.

